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Colin Bryar, a former executive at Amazon, recently appeared on a podcast to discuss his experiences working at the company for thirteen years. He held various positions, including director of Amazon associates, chief of staff to Jeff Bezos, and chief operating officer of IMDb. Bryar co-authored a book called "Working Backwards: Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside Amazon" with another former executive, Bill Carr.
Throughout the podcast episode, Bryar discussed key concepts and practices at Amazon that contributed to its success. These included working backwards to meet customer needs, using six-page narratives instead of PowerPoint presentations, implementing a highly structured recruiting process, and utilizing small, focused teams with single-threaded leadership.
Bryar also shared insights into Jeff Bezos' work style and personality. He observed that Bezos genuinely loves what he does and is motivated by creating Earth's most customer-centric company. Bezos' passion for customer obsession is evident in his daily actions, ensuring that the customer is always at the forefront of Amazon's decisions and strategies. Bezos also sets high standards for himself and holds others accountable to those standards.
Bryar described his relationship with Bezos as that of a friend, despite some employees finding their interactions with Bezos intimidating. He appreciated Bezos' genuineness and high standards. Bryar was highly motivated to succeed in his role and help Bezos succeed as well.
Bryar and Carr wrote their book, "Working Backwards," to provide a comprehensive understanding of Amazon's approach and processes. They used Google Docs to collaborate on the book and followed Amazon's working backwards process to structure it.
Bryar emphasized the importance of creating dedicated time and space for deep thinking and innovation, as Bezos does with his "think week" tradition. He also discussed the importance of customer focus and trust, as well as the need for innovative thinking and unconventional approaches to problem-solving.
Colin Bryar, a former executive at Amazon, recently appeared on a podcast to discuss his experiences